Sport: traditional wrestling

The fight takes place in a ring with a diameter of between 16 to 20 metres bordered by sand bags and ropes. The soil within the ring is covered with fine sand[t,y].

The wrestler fight torso naked, wearing shorts or most often a «walki» (boxer shorts made of goat skin)[y]. Actions aiming to all parts of the body are allowed. There is no classification by weight.

The fight passes upright. The wrestlers rub their hands with sand to ascertain a better grip on their opponent. The winner is he who gets his rival to touch the soil by any part of his body with the exception of the feet and hands[t] or manages to get his opponent in a 'wheelbarrow' or 'in the air' position[y].

Performers

The wrestlers are accompanied by traditional medicine men or story tellers (griots), by «Tchali tchali», who entertain the public with there imitations of the fights, and by drummers of the «ganga» (tam-tam). These are important persons for the success of the games. The traditional medicine men prepare there heroes for the fight. Fighters are often soaked with pungent smelling perfume (magic mixtures) and wear a girdle with talismans[c]. The opponents are not allowed to tear off the others girdle[t].

Arbitration

An arbitration board supervises and coordinates the fight. This 3-men board consists of the national technical director of wrestling, a timekeeper, and a person who keeps the score[y]. Also within the ring a trio is responsible, a senior referee and two assistants. Each of the assistants wears a pennant corresponding with the colours of the girdle of one of the wrestlers assigned by lot[y].

More wrestling

Dosso 2016

Agadez 2015

Diffa 2014

Niamey 2013

Maradi 2012

Tillabéri 2010

Tahoua 2009

Dosso 2008

Agadez 2007

Zinder 1986

List of finalists
of wrestling games since 1975

Prize

The winner receives a plated sabre symbol of the national wrestling champion title or king of the ring, a horse with saddle equipment, a turban and «boubou» (long tunica), an amount of money from the state and many other gifts[d,y].

In recent years the amount of money for the winner more than tripled from 3 to 10 million FCFA. Also the total mount of money involved in the games has increased significantly from 15 million in 1975 to 70 million FCFA in 2010[ad]. In 2013, the state contributed for about 30 million FCFA[ah].

Not only the winner receives money and gifts. In 2013, the state gave each participating wrestler (16 per team) two sacs of rice and two sacs of millet and about 100.000 FCFA. For each team, the state gave per person a sac of rice, a sac of millet and 100.000 FCFA for a medicine man / story teller (griot), for a tchali-tchali and for two ancient wrestlers. The state also payed for four drivers per team (each 100.000 FCFA)[ah].

The national traditional wrestling championship was introduced by the military government of Seïni Kountché in 1975 in order to valorise the national culture[a,b]. Each of the eight regions of Niger has a delegation of about ten wrestlers[u].

In older days

Before traditional wrestling was practiced all over the country for a very long time. The local games were in earlier times organised after the harvest period to celebrate gathering in the harvest[e,t]. In Zarma society wrestling has always been considered as a simple demonstration of force. In the Touareg society wrestling was practiced as a duel. The two wrestlers were attached to each other to force them to compete without backing out[f].

More information

Additional back ground information on traditional wrestling in Niger (in French) can be found in the book of Jean-Yves Ruszniewski [KoKowa : La lutte traditionnelle au Niger].

Aboubacar Yacouba,
Niamey, lost in semi-final against Alio Salaou. In the
other semi-final, Yacouba Adamou ( Niamey) and Abdoulaye Moussa (Maradi), both lost due to exceeding maximum time of 45 minutes